


Compromise

by Voglioungufo



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Good Uchiha Sasuke, Hokage Hatake Kakashi, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memory Alteration, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Slow Burn, Strong Haruno Sakura, Team Feels, Team as Family, Uchiha Sasuke-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27124787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voglioungufo/pseuds/Voglioungufo
Summary: “Is this what happened? Did they take Naruto's memories of Sasuke and make them terrifying? "Shikamaru nods. “Yes, they made them so terrifying that he sees it as a threat to his safety and hates it, he might be so scared that he tries to kill him. This is our theory ”.Naruto can no longer recognize what is real and what is not real.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 30
Kudos: 86





	1. Hate

**Author's Note:**

> Small explanation of why, when and how:  
> In reality, being in the canonical world there is not much to say, but I still wanted to make some clarifications since it starts in media res and maybe certain things could leave us confused.  
> So, there is a Clan that deeply hates the Uchiha, the Chinoikes (shamelessly copied from the animated series of the novel Sasuke Shiden) who claim Sasuke dead. Konoha opposes and therefore there is a half war, where Naruto lets himself be captured in place of Sasuke. From there he and Sakura and the others try to find him and the story starts from here. (except the initial flashback).  
> After, a big point: the story was inspired by the Hunger Games. I was studying and Peeta's misdirection came to mind and I was like: wow, why not do something like that in Sasunaru version? And here it is xD
> 
> I also add that this story was published for the first time in 2017 on an Italian site, where it is already complete. Now I'm translating it here on AO3. I will try to improve the style as I can, but unfortunately it is still my very wordy "old" style.
> 
> I hope you like the idea!

_The sun's fireball set the sky ablaze as it disappeared beyond the wall that surrounded Konoha. A few shaded clouds propped up the sky, as if a painter, after having painted them, had tried to erase them badly. The golden streets reflected the light, and the few passersby seemed to glow with a golden patina._ _There was not a breath of air._

_"Neh, Sasuke" Naruto called him stopping in the middle of the road. He had his nose turned upwards. Sasuke stopped and Naruto took it as an invitation to continue._

_“I like this color. It's my favorite! " Naruto babbled indicating with his index finger the vault of the completely orange sky._

_Sasuke stared at his friend with good-natured exasperation. “A real surprise. Who would have thought that? "_

_Naruto at the derisive comment scratched his cheek embarrassed._

_"But no, I really mean the orange of the sunset. I think it's all together, that's it, but it's just vivid and bright and how can it be so bright and bright if the sun is dying? That is, it looks like a miracle!"_

_Often Naruto was really rambling in speaking._

_"The sky becomes this color because of the angle at which the sun's rays reflect in the atmosphere" Sasuke began to explain mechanically, but Uzumaki stopped him even before he could continue in a more specific way, putting a hand in front of his mouth._

_"Why do you always have to screw everything up?" he snapped. "Isn't the sky of this color just beautiful?"_

_Sasuke looked at the sky, then at Naruto. He was beautiful._

He opens his eyes abruptly, sharingan active in his wide-open eyes.

"It's just me," Sakura's calm voice replies, slightly dead and detached. Sasuke brings the pitch-colored iris back, while he gets up from his sleeping bag and chases away the last remnants of sleep.

Sakura is sitting on the ground with one leg pulled up to her chest and the other bent. Her green eyes are surrounded by deep dark circles, her skin is as light as transparent paper and her hands are crossed by many small cuts due to the continuous use of the chakra.

He does not answer her, he gets up completely and takes his sleeping bag, folds it and puts it away with the others.

"Announcements?" he asks at the end. He doesn't expect a real answer, actually.

After the Fourth Ninja War, re-establishing political balance had been difficult, especially in smaller countries where, one after the other, many small revolts had broken out to overthrow government power. The countries of Fire, Earth, Water, Wind and Lightning had proposed themselves as neutral ambassadors to quell revolutions without the use of weapons.

The Chinoike, an ancient clan with a very powerful innate eye ability, originally from the Land of Lightning, had taken power in the Land of Hot Waters. For their blood-colored eyes they had always been feared and considered dangerous. So in the past, Konohagakure's intervention was required to eliminate the threat of the clan without risking internal strife. Konoha had entrusted the task of eliminating the Chinoike Clan to the Uchiha.

The Uchiha failed to complete the mission due to the great ability of the clan, some survivors managed to escape to the Land of Hot Waters where they had lost their tracks.

Until that moment.

At the end of the Great Ninja War, the Chinoikes had taken control of the host country and, subsequently, had sent an ambassador to Konoha to demand the condemnation of the Last Uchiha. After all his crimes as an ex-nukenin they had thought that the Leaf would indulge their revenge, but they had not reckoned with Uzumaki Naruto. The Hero of War had firmly opposed it and so the ambassadors had reported a negative response.

Since then it has been war.

It began without their realizing it, with chakra bombs launched on Konoha, and now continues with the vanguard directly on the border with the Land of Hot Waters. For everyone it was immediately obvious that the goal was him, Sasuke, the Uchiha. He had proposed to take care of the matter alone, by now he was powerful enough to afford it, but obviously the idea had not been taken into consideration at all.

For that Naruto was captured, ending up in a trap intended for him, and now he is in enemy hands. No one can locate the base where he, along with the other Konoha ninja, including Ino and Choji, is imprisoned. They know nothing since then.

This is why Sasuke does not believe there is any news.

"Yes," Sakura replies.

Sasuke turns abruptly towards her, attracted by that affirmative monosyllable.

"We found them," Sakura trembles. “We found _him_. The Hokage awaits us ".

That's enough for Sasuke, he makes an imperious nod with his chin. "Let's go" he orders dry.

The Konoha camp is spread over the clearing of a plateau, from which it is possible to embrace the entire plain below of the Land of Hot Water. It is a strategic point, since the enemy country, unlike the green Land of Fire, is made up of huge slips of rice fields and there are very few places where you can hide. The Chinoikes have been good at not being found all this time, but it was inevitable that Konoha would learn of their hiding place in the end.

The headquarters is the only wooden structure of the camp, from the outside it would seem a spartan hut of some hunter, but under the floor it develops into a technological military base, where the Psychic Ninja of Konoha regulate the advances and control the chakra in the area.

Kakashi is there with the Hokage cloak over his shoulders, but without a headdress so that his silver hair covers his face stretched out over the battlefield map. Next to him are Tsunade, Captain Yamato and Shikamaru. It is the latter who notices their entry and with an impatient smile he says:

"Finally".

"Where is he?" Sasuke cuts short sharply.

Sasuke is ready for action, he just needs the coordinates and then he will activate the renegan. Those bastards won't even know what hit them.

Tsunade frowns lightly, annoyed by that rude way. She is already about to call him back, but Kakashi is the first to speak.

"I'm not going to tell you," he replies without looking up. "Not until the rescue mission is completed."

"If she doesn't tell me I'll find out for myself, she knows." Sasuke makes it clear without giving up.

Sakura by his side acts more diplomatically.

"If we can't know the coordinates, what's the point of calling us here?"

Kakashi gestures for them to approach the table.

"You serve us as a diversion."

"The Chinoikes don't know we have located their base," Shikamaru begins to illustrate. “For this we can act by surprise. You, Sasuke, are their target, so they will monitor your every move. If they even suspected that we know their position, they would move to another place before anything can even be done. Do you understand?" He does not give him time to reply and continues: "For this you, Sakura and another group will be sent here". Indicate a point on the map. “It's a place where there are some mercenaries and you can make enough noise to catch their attention. With your presence there, they will inevitably focus on that point, leaving out the internal defenses. At that point a team consisting of Sai, Rock Lee and Captain Yamato will infiltrate and take possession of the enemy base ".

"Just them? Isn't that a bit risky? " Sakura asks worriedly.

"No," Tsunade replies. “In addition to having to maintain a very low chakra level, they will never expect an offensive with so few shinobi in their base and therefore they will necessarily focus on you. They will be distracted ”.

"I have a better plan," Sasuke retorts. "I do a kage bushin, we send him to distract them and in the meantime the real me bursts into the base".

Kakashi makes a pissed face. "You can't handle it alone."

"Maybe not," he admits with a sharp look. "But _I'll_ get him out of that hole, it's _my_ duty."

"No, your duty is to follow the Hokage's instructions," Shikamaru contradicts him harshly. Of course, he too would like to drop everything and run to save Ino and Choji, but he knows he can't do his own thing. Sasuke is just like Naruto, when it comes to the other they don't think anymore and become a total nuisance.

“We will be in connection with a member of the Yamanaka Clan,” Kakashi patiently explains. "As soon as the situation is resolved we will give you the coordinates and you can reach the Yamato team, okay?"

 _Of course not!_ He wants to answer, but Sakura puts a hand on his shoulder as a warning and nods for both of them.

"Yes, sir," she says determinedly.

“Perfect” a long sigh leaves the Rokudaime's lips as he crosses his arms. "And when this is over, the two of us will get married."

The words float in the air before the person concerned can fully understand them, at which point Sakura releases her grip on Sasuke's shoulder and almost stumbles.

"What? Are you proposing yourself now? " she babbles, blushing suddenly and pointing to her face with a finger. “But ... but! You can't say certain things like that ... it takes preparation and ... well, it's unfair ... Does it seem like the moment ?! "

"Move, Haruno" Sasuke calls her back as he heads out of the base to prepare for the mission.

Sakura closes her mouth abruptly, stopping muttering, and hurries to follow him still red in the face, while the Hokage bursts into a short laugh.

Sasuke wonders how it is possible that the Chinoikes have kept Konoha's shinobi in check for a month. It is true that in that period of time they never sent him into operations because it was harmful to his safety, yet it was enough to show the rinnegan and a chidori for the mercenaries to abandon their positions. Sakura's punch that almost destroyed the whole area has definitely pushed them to surrender.

"This then" says Kiba on Akamaru's back, smiles feral. "If we had known we would have released you immediately."

"It wasn't possible," Shino replies grimly next to him. "This is because Uchiha is the target of this war, sending him to the front would have been absolutely dangerous ..."

“Yes, dangerous for them. Certainly not for him ”Kiba interrupts, pouting.

Sasuke blatantly ignores them, while Sakura yells orders to collect the captured enemies. Sasuke closes his eyes to communicate with the Yamanaka at headquarters.

“Everything is fine here. There?"

_Sai has just taken over the base and Yamato with Rock Lee are capturing the Chinoikes. Join them with Team 8 to help them._

Sasuke nods internally, determined to come face to face with En Oyashiro, the leader of the Chinoikes, and be able to express with him the full potential of his Rinnegan. Immediately the coordinates are imprinted in his mind. Then he materializes with the rinnegan. They will join him later.

As soon as he arrives he sticks a Chinoike with Kusanagi intent on giving a hard time to an ANBU, evidently in the meantime Kakashi has sent the secret team to help.

He draws the sword from the enemy's dead body and then makes the electricity crackle on the blade. Without wasting any more time, he sprints into that fort, breaking down the weak defense of its occupants. The hard moment of the fight has already passed and the few who still oppose the inevitable fall are desperate or unconvinced.

Sasuke knows that the Chinoikes are as skilled as the Uchiha in genjutsu so he never stops to look them in the eye, sneaks at their attacks with elegant speed and kills them without batting an eye. They wanted to play with fire, let them get burned then.

He does not stop even when the enemies raise their hands in surrender, pierces them with the chidori mercilessly, with a glacial look on his face.

He will slaughter them all.

Captain Yamato halted his advance just before he pierced yet another victim with the blade; The wood wraps around his torso forcing him to stop as the shinobi screams.

"Enough, Uchiha-kun, they gave up," he orders. "Do not continue further".

Despite himself, Sasuke blocks the influx of chakra on the sword and the air becomes silent again. He looks at his missed victim with contempt, while with a pair of hand seals Yamato immobilizes her by surrounding his face with a wooden helmet to make his eyes harmless.

"Where is En Oyashiro?" Sasuke claims to know.

“We have already captured him. Rock Lee-kun is taking him to the Hokage."

He makes a slight grimace with his lips, he arrived late. It doesn't matter, he'll have other opportunities to take revenge on that bastard.

The wall beside them shakes briefly before collapsing into rubble, as if it exploded in a scream - "Shannaro!" - and among the debris appears a Sakura hot and disheveled from the long run and the fist still stretched in front of him.

Sasuke watches her, a little asshole smile.

"You're late, we're already done here."

Sakura looks at him in amazement, then an offended expression peeps into her eyes and angrily points a finger at him.

"You could have avoided leaving us there without saying anything, asshole!"

Captain Yamato puts two fingers to his forehead, then nods to himself. "Come on, they're waiting for us downstairs."

At those words Sakura's eyes sparkle and even Sasuke struggles to curb the impatience to go immediately to Naruto. Finally they found him, he will finally be able to go home.

And this time everything would be really okay, nothing else would get in their midst.

With excited steps, they follow Captain Yamato inside that fort, until they arrive inside a large white room with a collapsed wall. The medical unit is already at work to treat the wounded and other ANBUs are shouting orders to stabilize the situation.

"The Hokage is coming" he hears shouts, he doesn't really know who.

From the corner of his eye he can also see Sai running to hug a girl with no hair, thin and light-eyed - Ino - but he doesn't focus on anyone. All his attention from the exact moment he set foot in that room was captured by a single person, the only pivot around which all the other colors rotate out of focus.

Sakura holds her breath. Sasuke feels hit by a dizzy sensation, as if he is jumping off a cliff without any seat belt. Feels a feeling of inadequacy. When Naruto tried to bring him back he always had the right word, the right smile, he always knew how to take Sasuke. Sasuke doesn't know what to say.

Oh, but what does it matter. They are Naruto and Sasuke, they don't really need words to understand each other; whatever Sasuke does will be enough, it will be too much and Naruto will love it.

He feels like he's focused on the calm spot of the tornado from where you can see the blue sky, while the wind blazes destructive and furious around you.

Naruto turns badly chasing a kunoichi who is trying to bandage a wound. Naruto turns to him as if he was being called back by the same inexplicable magnetic pull. Naruto's face is swollen, full of bruises and scratches. Naruto is scary thin with protruding cheekbones and skin stained with sweat and blood, where those blue eyes stand out painfully vivid - the sky in the middle of the tornado - and a flash of disbelief passes at the sight of Sasuke.

But there is also a violent shade that he has never seen in those irises. Desire? Despair? Maybe both of them because he immediately pushes the ninjas around him aside and runs towards them.

Towards Sasuke.

Sasuke is so relieved to see him alive after that horrible month that he too extends his one arm towards his partner, even Naruto has his hands stretched out towards his face.

Sasuke's lips have just parted to say his name, but no breath reaches his mouth.

Naruto's hands have tightened around his throat and he finally recognizes that look.

 **Hate**.


	2. Hospital

The white ceiling and the smell of anesthetizing are the only things Sasuke wants to perceive, but he can't ignore the annoying ticking of the machinery next to him. Just as he cannot avoid feeling the itch caused by the cervical collar around his neck. It is always better than before, when he had an entire medical team around to monitor his vital functions as if he were about to die. In the end, Tsunade herself came to visit him and give the verdict: the Last Uchiha, Hero of the War, does not risk death, he will remain only for a short time without a voice.

How much concern for an ex-traitor.

Naruto squeezed his fingers so hard on his neck that it ruined his vocal cords, Tsunade says, but it will all work out, he adds.

Sasuke has never felt so fragile, it was like those hands could really break him in two. He was totally helpless and unprepared.

It was Captain Yamato who knocked Naruto out with a punch before it could cause him irreversible damage; Sakura would have intervened right away if she wasn't as shocked as he was. It's really rare to catch them both unprepared, but they were so devoured by the idea of saving Naruto - for once they were the ones to do it - that they didn't even take into consideration the hypothesis that he might be crazy.

 _No, not crazy_ , he remembers. _Compromised._

He doesn't know what that means, but that word is the only explanation Tsunade has given him.

_"He has been compromised"._

Whatever that means, it doesn't sound good at all.

Sakura assisted Tsunade in the control and now she is still beside him, she didn't say a word except: "I think they will take off the collar soon."

Sakura is shaking without realizing it. When she is upset, Sakura becomes silent.

As instructed, Sasuke remains lying on the bed in the infirmary and cannot speak, even though he would like to break into the headquarters to demand explanations. Instead it is the headquarters that raids the infirmary. Kakashi orders the doctors to go out and leave them alone.

“So, Sasuke,” Shikamaru begins rubbing the bridge of his nose, “Naruto was a shock to us all. We already assumed that he had been subjected to torture by the Chinoikes and we were prepared for the worst. Now we believe that instead they have not limited themselves to that, that they have subjected him to a rather strong genjutsu ”.

“Unfortunately we don't know all the details,” Tsunade inserts. “Chinoike eyes have never been studied and have many secrets, but we know they are adept at conditioning minds with their own genjutsu. It is a conditioning based on fear, despair and hatred. You and Kakashi have been victims of Itachi's Mangekyo genjutsu and you know that feeling well, their technique works more or less the same way ”.

Terror. Hallucinations. Nightmare visions where you believe you are losing the people you love. The same nightmare repeated madly. Sasuke remembers them well, genjutsu targets the part of the brain that controls fear.

"You will also remember the feeling of not being able to distinguish what was real and false, I guess," Kakashi speaks in a tired voice.

“Here. Now imagine a more powerful and focused experience of this kind, repeated for a month, whose purpose is precisely to make you doubt reality "continues with Tsunade technician. “Imagine being subjected to this torture several times in a day. After such an experience, remembering in a lucid way becomes impossible. This way our memories can be compromised. Memories are subtracted, altered and saved once more in their new distorted version. Imagine that you are forced to remember a certain moment and while you are given a dose of pain that triggers fear. Now when you remember that moment your brain will associate it with pain, as if you really experienced those feelings in that past moment ”.

Sasuke begins to feel sick, they remain silent until Sakura finds the courage to ask that question.

“Is this what happened? Did they take Naruto's memories of Sasuke and make them terrifying? "

Shikamaru nods. “Yes, they made them so terrifying that he sees it as a threat to his safety and hates him, he might be so scared that he tries to kill him. This is our theory ”.

Sasuke pulls the blanket over his head because this can't really be happening, he must have ended up in a terrible genjutsu himself. It is not possible that someone made Naruto forget their bond ... no one would ever be able to divide them. He couldn't do it either, let alone some psychopathic strangers.

Naruto hates him.

The Chinoikes have found the best way to destroy him, congratulations.

"But you will try to reverse the process, right?" Sakura asks anxiously in her voice.

"Um ... we have very little data," Tsunade replies. “None, actually. These are just assumptions ”.

"But you will try, right?" Sakura presses. "You're not going to lock Naruto in a room and leave him there, are you?"

"Of course we will try, brat" Tsunade shouts. “We just don't know if we can be successful. The human brain is a very complex thing. It is our memories that establish our character, playing with them is dangerous. We don't know if Naruto will be able to come out of this experience intact ”.

"Not to mention that memories other than Sasuke's may have been compromised," Shikamaru continues. “Maybe they took revenge on Konoha and Naruto hates the village. We need to prepare a plan before we act. No ninja is able to counter Naruto, if he attacked us, disaster would break out. We must first think about safeguarding Konoha ”.

"But really?" Sakura comments sarcastically. "And what do you think, Kakashi?"

Sasuke pulls back the blanket a little to see the face of his ex-sensei, the only person in that room besides Sakura for whom he has respect and a kind of bizarre affection.

Kakashi is exhausted and discouraged as he confesses. "I think Naruto could improve a little, but he'll never be the same again."

Sasuke returns to cover himself with the blanket closing them out, they do not deserve to enter his personal hell, those words have the tone of a death sentence.

His.

"At least he's alive" Tsunade tries to say in a consoling tone. “Only he and Ino survived, the other shinobi were all executed. Naruto has suffered some damage, sure, but he is here with us and as long as he breathes things can improve. Let's not forget, okay? "

The news of those dead shinobi, including Choji, does not reassure Sasuke at all, on the contrary, it only makes him feel more empty. Not because he knew them, no, not even Choji was so familiar to him, but they died because of him. It's like he killed them.

He has Naruto's hateful gaze burned into his mind, a single coherent thought.

 _En Oyashiro, I will kill you_.

**

Sakura comes at regular intervals to adjust his neckband or force him to eat. Nurses can't convince him. Sakura regularly updates him on Naruto and his improvements, he has begun to expel the poison to which they have subjected to his organism and it seems stable, but this is because he is kept under observation by medical shinobi from other countries, complete strangers who cannot trigger any dangerous memory in him. A team of experienced ninjas are trying to create a seal that can help him.

He was discharged after days, when all the bureaucratic and diplomatic issues have now been resolved. With the capture of En Oyashiro and the other Chinoikes, the war could be said to be over and now all that remains is to ensure a stable government for the Hot Water Country. The prisoners will stay there, the trial will take place later when everything is resolved.

When Sasuke returns to Konoha he is allowed to take off the neck brace. His neck is red and bruised. Like purple-stained paper. As soon as he can speak in a whispered, croaking voice he says:

"I want to see Naruto".

"No" is Tsunade's impassive reply. “He's still unstable and your eyesight could affect him even more. Be patient".

“So I want to kill En Oyashiro” he replies with a firmer voice already.

Sakura next to him sighs. "I imagine that for you there is still no regulation that establishes what is inadmissible to do or not to do to another human being."

“Of course it exists. It's the same one they followed them to compromise Naruto ”.

Cruel, but it hits the mark and Sakura tightens her lips, unable to argue anymore.

"Fine, then," she says harshly. "Run once again to take revenge."

Sakura turns on her heels and exits the hospital room, just as Kakashi enters. She does not spare him from a dirty look either. When the door slams the Hokage sighs wearily.

“Stop making her angry. She's just worried about you. "

Sasuke ignores him. "I want to see Naruto" tries again.

To the surprise of both him and Tsunade, Kakashi nods. “Yes, I think it's good. In a few minutes they will carry out a test on Naruto ”.

"I don't think that's the case ..." Tsunade starts nervously.

"What test?" Sasuke interrupts with more and more control in his voice.

“We will get him in contact with a ninja from Konoha. Someone who knows and trusts, but has no connection with you. They are evaluating the various people now ”.

He doesn't think it's difficult since even after the Fourth War Sasuke didn't have the opportunity or the will to stay in close contact with the other shinobi.

“We will observe his reaction hidden by a glass-mirror. It will be the first attempt to put him in contact with someone from Konoha ”.

Sasuke nods. "I come".

He wonders who was chosen.

When they reach the hospital area where Naruto was isolated and where the specialized team works, Sasuke sees her standing with her hands folded in her lap and her long raven hair straight on her back: Hinata Hyuuga.

"Sas'ke-kun" smiles at him shyly, but with transport almost suggests that they are old friends.

He nods his head. From an early age he never had much contact with the Hyuugas because opposed to his clan, plus at school the girl was so silent as to be invisible to him and he had ignored her even for the rest of the time she had spent as genin. He knows that she had a crush on Naruto and that she also defended him at critical times. She is perfect, surely Naruto trusts and cannot connect her to him.

"Did they choose you to visit him?" Sasuke asks anyway.

“I guess so” Hinata says in a soft voice. “Poor Naruto-kun. Poor you. I will never understand the grudge ”.

"Better not understand" he replies with a strange feeling in his gut.

"What do you think about it?" Kakashi asks him. "Naruto has known her for a long time, but he has nothing that can trigger any memories about you."

"We were in the same class at the Academy, but we never spoke to each other".

Hinata blushes. "You were always so good at everything and so composed and serious as to put me in awe" she reveals beyond the embarrassment. "We all admired you."

That confession has the power to make Sasuke feel even worse, but the awkwardness of answering is lifted from him by Tsunade who, after talking to the doctors, beckons them.

"Let's give it a try".

He goes with them to the observation room attached to the one where Naruto is locked up, there are also ten members of the team armed with papers and pens ready to write down everything; the mirrored glass and sound system allows you to participate without being seen.

Naruto is lying on a bed, his arms are locked with straps on which seals are imprinted to contain the chakra; he does not struggle to free himself, but his hands are constantly moving. He is wearing a light blue coat and has been cleaned of blood, the wounds have all been disinfected and thanks to the Kyuubi chakra they are already on the mend, but he is still too thin and has a look that does not belong to him.

As soon as the door opens to let Hinata in, he clicks and his eyes widen, alarmed, then vague again.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asks in an uncertain voice.

A few blue-eyed clouds seem to dissolve. "Hinata-chan?" asks “Hinata. It is you!"

"Yes," she confirms with evident relief in her voice. "How do you feel?"

"Terrible" the sincerity with which he says it almost makes Sasuke hope that Naruto is really buried there, somewhere. "Where we are? What happened?"

"Here we go," Kakashi says between his teeth next to him. "Hinata was ordered not to make any reference to you or the war against the Chinoikes."

"We are safe", meanwhile, Hinata is reassuring him. “A Konoha”.

"Those people say so too." Maybe Naruto means doctors. "But why am I here and not at home?"

Hinata bites her lip. "You are not very well," he admits. “Everyone is worried. Sakura-chan says it's ramen, you eat too much. And Iruka-sensei said he'll take you to Ichiraku when you get better, but it makes Sakura-chan even more angry. "

"Ramen has nothing to do with it" hearing him say it really lights up hope in Sasuke. "What do I have? The fever? I don't remember anything! "

Hinata looks at him hesitantly, then continues slowly. "We don't know," she admits. “But we will find a solution soon. Here everyone is kind and then you are very strong, nothing can bring you down ”.

"Why didn't Sakura and Iruka-sensei come to see me?" Naruto asks lost.

"They cannot".

"Am I dangerous?" he asks disheartened.

"No!" Hinata hastens to say, she seems about to start crying. "You are too good to be".

"But I'm not very well" he repeats as if trapped by those words.

"Yes" Hinata whispers almost inaudible.

"They tortured me," Naruto suddenly says, his eyes seem to blur far away. "It was him ... it was Sasuke."

He begins to fidget and tighten his belts.

“No, it wasn't his fault. He is kind ”Hinata contradicts him.

Hinata is really a fool, Sasuke would have used any epithet except kind to describe himself.

“He didn't seem nice to me as he tried to kill me,” Naruto hisses.

Sasuke has never seen that look at him, it's terrible. Naruto tries to free himself, calls out the chakra, but the seals on the handcuffs light up.

"Get her out!" Kakashi orders and a door opens immediately behind Hinata.

"Sasuke loves you" tries to defend the girl as she backs away.

"It's not true! He's a liar! " Naruto screams. “Don't trust him, nothing he says is true! He will destroy us all, he is a threat and must be killed. He is dangerous! "

A doctor grabs Hinata who seems willing to stay there to calm him down, but she can't, and drags her out as tears roll from her eyes. The door closes abruptly, but Naruto continues to scream as if he is being tortured.

"He's a liar, he's a liar!" he screams until his vocal cords are consumed, he struggles to rebel and starts crying because he gets stuck there, he shivers visibly.

For Sasuke this is worse than being strangled, he can't do anything but stare at Naruto squirming and sobbing those desperate words. It is as if they really block the air.

Naruto hates him.

Kakashi grabs Sasuke by the shoulder and drags him away. Sasuke doesn't move and can't, he's paralyzed and it seems to him that the world has suddenly gone mad.

Naruto hates him.

The hallway is quiet but he keeps hearing Naruto's screams in his head. He wants to throw up. Sakura was wrong, he is now irrecoverable.

Naruto hates him.


	3. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why did I risk so much for you? Why did I go so far for you? "  
> "Because you are my friend" Sasuke whispers softly as if he doesn't want to say it.

The sky is interspersed with large white clouds that the sun's rays try to overcome, to reach the dry and sparse grass. Sasuke looks at the only figure who trains in that empty space of camp seven absently. Sakura twirls in lethal figures placing and throwing shurikens, pierces the air with kunai and smashed several stones with her fists.

"I thought no one would come here anymore," the girl says at the end, when she stops with her back to him straight like a spindle.

Sasuke doesn't answer. He doesn't usually use the public training camps, he uses those in the Uchiha neighborhood. But that morning he woke up with a strange nostalgia and without realizing it his steps led him to that training camp.

It's been five days since Naruto had a meeting with Hinata, he knows that there have been others and that Iruka-sensei has also come into contact. Everyone says he can get better, that they can do it, but for Sasuke these have been horrible days. It is as if a painful apathy devoured him from within.

Sakura stretches her sore muscles and gives a lazy smile as she squints. “Neh, Sasuke-kun, do we train together? What do you say?"

Sasuke has only ever trained with Naruto, but most of the time he uses his own kage bushin. They are the only opponents with whom he can realize his full potential without fear. With others he must always restrain himself.

He nods anyway, stingy with words, because the kunoichi is on the same team and in the missions there is always a need for fighting affinity. Sasuke will limit himself to using only the sharingan and a few jutsu of the rinnegan. Sakura is strong, _she is very strong_ , but not on his level.

"No, Sasuke-baka" Sakura calls him back noticing the lowering of the chakra. “Don't hold back, hit me with all your strength” and as she says it, she spreads her legs and places her hands in front in defense, squeezes a kunai.

He looks at her badly. “Don't overestimate yourself”.

"And you don't underestimate me" she retorts, showing him her tongue. "If I do it too, I will never be able to improve. Do you think they will be as kind as you on a mission? No, so don't be scrupulous ".

Sasuke would like to tell her that in mission she will not find anyone as strong as him or stronger than her, but he just gives a wry smile as he calls the chakra to activate the rennegan. Since returning he has found himself admiring Sakura a lot: her persistence and determination are incredible. She had no foundation on which to start, not a tailed demon or an ocular art or some other technique of a ninja clan - her parents are civilians - but she had enough willpower to make her become an heir of the Sannin.

He gives an amused half smile thinking about it. "After that, don't start crying though, Haruno," he laughs at her with a hint of affection.

Sakura grins openly. "I stopped crying for you, baka."

Then she attacks.

Sakura accurately throws the kunai at him, hitting him in the chest. Sasuke deflects it by pulling out kusanagi lightning fast, does not dwell on that weapon in the least and raises his head towards the sky, aware that it is just a diversion. In fact, he immediately sees the figure of Sakura falling towards him as she loads a punch. Sasuke moves just in time and the kunoichi clears the chakra on the ground destroying it as if a small meteor collided.

Sasuke frowns as he activates chidori along the blade of the katana in the rush of retreat. A grimace of annoyance appears on the girl's face at the shrill shrieks of those lightning bolts.

sakura crouches avoiding the opponent's lunge and takes advantage of that push to launch a side kick. The Uchiha avoids him calmly and leaps away to avoid a second punch. Being too close to the girl can be dangerous, Sasuke has to focus on medium or long range techniques. Deactivates the chidori on the katana and quickly puts it back in the scabbard. He brings the fingers of one hand to his chest, starting to compose the seals of horse-tiger-sheep-monkey-boar-horse-tiger and then brings them to his mouth by joining the index finger with the thumb.

Sakura easily dodges the offensive by jumping to the side, she moves back to the boy trying to hit him in the face. Sasuke plows with his forearm and tries to destabilize her balance. Sakura rotates on herself and takes off the katana throwing it away. Sasuke widens his eyes taken aback but then thins them furiously. Without thinking about it a second time he activates the chidori again making it crackle in his hand. Sakura tries to avoid the blow by activating a wind ninjutsu, but he intercepts the seals with the sharingan and suddenly changes strategy.

Sasuke takes out a kunai and aims for the side, the kunoichi arches her back and rolls to the ground immediately standing up in a defensive position. She is not fast enough, the Uchiha comes up behind her and hits her with precision in the legs causing her to collapse again. Before Sakura can even think about fighting back, she finds herself with her back to the ground and the kunai blade under her chin.

The whole fight lasted not even a few minutes, they were so fast that in the eyes of an outside spectator they would have appeared as blurred figures.

Sakura sulks her expression. "You didn't use the renegan, though."

"Yes, I did," he contradicts her. “I used the space-time technique to appear behind you”.

At those words Sakura curls her lips upwards.

"Unfair" she scolds him ironically and rests the back of his head on the ground uncovering her throat.

Sasuke hates her. Sasuke doesn't understand how she can be so relaxed with him that he points a kunai to her throat, he could kill her and she doesn't even have time to react. How can she trust him so blindly after everything he's done to her? He hates her. It makes him feel dirty, guilty and weak. Where does all that courage put it, Sakura?

"You know, I wish you and Naruto were the witnesses at my wedding." Sakura suddenly says, she has green eyes reflecting the sky and some bitter memories.

Sasuke has a spasm in his hand at his mates' name and the blade lightly scratches the soft skin of her neck. He should take it off before doing damage, but he can't.

Sakura continues to talk carelessly about the drop of blood that has started to slide on the pink skin:

“But they don't even let me see Naruto. They forbade me, I can't even check his condition. I can't meet him ". A tear rolls in the corner of the right eye.

Better this way, Sasuke thinks. Not even he wants her to see that pale ghost of Naruto, she would be destroyed, she would realize that Naruto is irrecoverable.

"You said you weren't going to cry," he says instead in a dark voice.

"In fact, I'm not crying for you," Sakura's chest trembles with laughter. She raises a hand, touching his cheek with her fingers. “You are both such fools. You'll drive me crazy sooner or later ”.

Sasuke doesn't know how to answer. He would like to say that this time it is not his fault, but it is not true. In one way or another it is always he who is not strong enough, who does not make the right choice, who hurts his precious companions. He's always him.

“Neh, in the end, history always repeats itself. In reverse, though. Only I am always ... left behind ”she ends, she seems on the verge of really bursting into tears.

"Sakura—"

"What are you doing on my wife, _Sasuke-kun_?"

Both wince as, in front of them, the Hokage has materialized with a dark face and a tight smile with a great desire to throttle the last of the Uchiha.

"If you changed your mind you could have thought about it before, now she's off limits," he continues threateningly as Sasuke gets up quickly and Sakura blushes.

"Kakashi!" Sakura screams furiously. “Stop shooting stupid things. We were training. Aren't you supposed to be in the office? "

Sasuke adjusts his cloak and goes to retrieve kusanagi, preferring to leave the two to their jealousy and relationship problems. He slips it into the sheath still surprised that the girl managed to get it, Sakura has made a lot of progress.

"Anyway I was looking for you, Sasuke."

Kakashi's voice comes back serious and he turns to find him patting the head of a completely red-faced Sakura.

"Listening" concedes colorless returning to arrange kusanagi.

Kakashi doesn't comment on his informal tone, he just takes a deep breath.

"I talked to Naruto".

Those words catch all of Sasuke's attention, even Sakura turns her head towards the Hokage and looks at him with wide green eyes.

"Face to face?" Sasuke is the first to recover. "And didn't he go crazy?"

"No. He was just very mad at me and for pretty good reasons, ”he sighs. “We don't know what's going on, none of us know. Sometimes he is almost rational, lucid, then, for no reason, he explodes again and we have to sedate him. Not even the Kyuubi can help us. ”Kakashi hesitates, as if afraid to continue. "He says he would like to see you."

The world is a sailing boat, tossed with dark waves, with the bridge swaying under his feet and struggled to keep his balance. He feels like a drunkard and his stomach is locked in a vise. His hands sweat. Sasuke had given up on seeing him, he understood that he had lost the exact moment he recognized the look of hate in those blue eyes, but now that he has heard those words he cannot escape the desire to see him again.

 _He says he would like to see you_.

He would like to go immediately, but Kakashi forces him to wait a few hours to be able to fix the room in case Naruto explodes.

At noon Sasuke is in front of the hospital room, it looks more like a cell. He would like to be able to meet him in private, of course, but he has to endure the presence of the usual medical team and a headset where Kakashi communicates to him in case of need. Sasuke waits for the Hokage to start before opening the door and slipping into the white room.

Immediately those blue eyes are fixed on him.

He's sprawled out on the raised-backed cot with five arm straps to block his movements and seals painted around him in case he loses control. But he is not struggling to free himself, he is observing him only with the wary gaze of someone expecting a trap at any moment.

Sasuke approaches up to a meter from him, he feels nervous and after all that time Sasuke clearly perceives the absence of his arm.

Sasuke doesn't know what to say.

"Hello" is his pathetic beginning.

"Hi," Naruto replies.

It is Naruto's voice, it sounds like his voice, but it also sounds like that of a stranger.

"Kakashi told me you wanted to talk to me," he says, he would like not to feel so uncomfortable under that vivid gaze.

"See you, actually" Naruto corrects him, seems to expect him to attack him at any moment.

He stares at him for so long that Sasuke glances at the mirror-windows as if to seek help, but receives only the reflection of his image. Sasuke has deep dark circles, a sickly pale face with protruding cheekbones and is all messed up from the short but intense training with Sakura. Besides, he hasn't slept for five days.

Almost reading his mind, Naruto starts talking again. "I reminded you more cute."

For some reason that sentence triggers something in Sasuke, as if a dormant anger slowly awakens.

"You too have had better times," he replies curtly.

 _What am I doing?_ He has no right to answer in that nasty tone, he was tortured, Kami! He just can't understand what that weight in the back of his stomach is, it feels like anger. He should not blame Naruto for that situation, he has just been through hell and he must not rage. Sasuke has to help him.

Suddenly he feels he might start yelling at him, he doesn't even know what for. Just seeing that Naruto who isn't Naruto makes him sick.

"You're not nice to tell me these things after what I've been through" Naruto reminds him with a bitter laugh, as if he didn't really care about the lack of touch.

“We've all been through bad things. And you were the nice one, not me ”.

Sasuke inhales sharply.

He knows that Kakashi is ordering him something from the headset but he can't hear it. He feels too much at the mercy of his emotions and doesn't like it, he hates not having the situation under control. He is behaving very badly, but on the other hand it is true: it was always Naruto with the right word. Naruto was always the one who had to save others from themselves. He was the good, kind, nice, unselfish one.

Not Sasuke. Sasuke is the opposite of all those things. What Naruto fixes, Sasuke destroys it.

He has to get out of there.

“Look, I'm sorry, I'm very tired. Maybe I'll come back another time ".

He has almost reached the door when his voice stops.

"Sasuke, I remember the bento."

A quick flash of Kakashi forbidding Naruto to have lunch is imprinted on Sasuke's memory. That was the first gesture that brought them together as teammates, as friends.

"What do you remember?" he asks turning.

His chest hurts as if his heart is trying to shatter the prison of his ribs.

"Kakashi-sensei tying me to the pole to keep me from eating," he says. "And you handing me your bento and convincing Sakura-chan to do the same."

"Exactly" Sasuke confirms. "You also needed to be strong enough to play as a team".

"Kakashi could have disqualified you from the exam and you couldn't have become a ninja."

"Exact. But I preferred to accept the risk ”.

Sasuke has a bitter taste in his mouth. Kakashi keeps giving him suggestions but he can't hear him, he's too stunned. Everything revolves around Naruto.

"Why did you do that? It was the first time that anyone other than Iruka-sensei had risked so much for me. You ... made me feel part of something ”.

Naruto raises his clear eyes on him, they are lost, sincere, but also very angry. They ask for answers.

Sasuke shrugs, he doesn't have those answers he's looking for so much. He would just like to scream or punch something but he controls his emotions behind a mask of indifference. He doesn't let anything show through his black eyes.

"I do not know what to think. They say we are ... comrades, but I remember that you tried to kill me, that you tried to destroy the village, that you almost killed Sakura-chan, that you entered the Akatsuki ... "Naruto purses his lips. “I also remember these things”.

"They are real".

This conversation is worse than getting a hundred punches in the stomach.

“Why did I risk so much for you? Why did I go so far for you? "

"Because you are my friend" Sasuke whispers softly as if he doesn't want to say it.

Naruto looks down as he chews that word between his lips.

"Friend". He has a contemptuous tone, almost if it sickened him. "That's what everyone here is saying. That we are friends, that you are not my enemy. But… ”Naruto stares at him with vivid blues expressing only hatred. "I do not believe. I do not trust you. I hate you".

Kakashi doesn't protest when Sasuke leaves that white room.

He walks along the hospital corridors without being able to see the things around him. He feels he is lost in the fog and this fog is very similar to the cold and opaque labyrinths of Hades. When a ray of sunshine hits him in the face, chasing away all the shadows on his face, he realizes he has left the building and understands why he feels so bad.

The time he took Naruto's affection for granted is up. The sand has stopped sliding in the hourglass and now Naruto finally sees him for what he really is.

Dangerous.

Liar.

Traitor.

Alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow burn is there for something. Naruto must learn to trust Sasuke again ... thank you so much for the comments you left! Don't be shy, I don't eat anyone :)  
> If you are interested, I leave you my tumblr account! @Voglioungufoartblog


	4. Wedding day

In the following days on the streets of Konoha there is only an air of celebration while the Rokudaime wedding is planned.

When it is announced that children are needed to sing, everyone from the village shows up. In the Hokage building there are only flower deliveries, each shop tries to give the most beautiful composition in a competition ever announced. Sakura can't leave the house without someone stopping her every two steps to congratulate her. For this the girl has set up tents at Villa Uchiha, the only place where the brave inhabitants of Konohagakure do not dare to set foot.

Even during training, the shinobi cheerfully chat about the upcoming event. All allied countries sending ambassadors for their congratulations. It is now an international business.

"And to think that I wanted to do something very intimate" mutters Sakura lying on the sofa of Villa Uchiha.

Sasuke doesn't even answer her.

It will be a traditional wedding since it is the Hokage and the amount of detail that needs to be taken care of is incredible. Virtually all of Konoha participates in Yui-no and the Mokuroku is so immense that newly engaged couples don't know where to put all those gifts. The Kazekage also shows up at the dinner with the brothers, cheerfully chats with Sakura and Kakashi. He asks about Naruto's conditions, but just a little so as not to spoil the party atmosphere.

But there is no way not to understand the reason for all that expectation.

After all that has happened with Madara and Kaguya everyone wants something good to happen, any reason is good to celebrate and try to find hope. Sakura and Kakashi unfortunately ended up in the middle.

This would explain why one day Ino shows up at Uchiha's door with a blonde wig on her head - she'll keep it until her hair grows back - to kidnap Sakura and take her to try on wedding dresses. But that doesn't explain why they dragged Sasuke into the middle of that shop full of lace and fluttering fabric.

 _I'm softening up_ , he thinks running away from that chilling situation.

Actually Sasuke knows that all of that is also to keep him distracted from Naruto. They are not doing it particularly well. Naruto has been a staple in his mind all his life. But on the afternoon of the wedding she feels genuinely happy for Sakura.

Sakura demanded that at least Sasuke be her best man. Kakashi has Gai-sensei in his wheelchair and fortunately avoided wearing the ridiculous green jumpsuit for the occasion. Ino is next to the bride to help her change her four dresses and looks like an anachronistic figure next to a Sakura in a white kimono, as Yamanaka is wearing a modern-style garment.

The wedding is celebrated with the heads of the Hokage as a backdrop in the late afternoon, when the sun is about to set. Kakashi makes the promises of fidelity with the sky completely orange behind him and the priest gives a branch of Japanese camellia to Sakura. His fingers grip the stick as if it holds something too beautiful and delicate to be true. At the exchange of the rings he has a huge smile on his face and his eyes shining with tears of joy.

Sasuke is genuinely happy for her. He is happy that there is that smile on her after so many tears shed.

As soon as the ceremony ends, the orchestra, which was originally supposed to be small but which turned out to be worthy of a theater, begins to play cheerful tunes. The first to move is Sakura who pulls Kakashi by the hand in the center of the clearing. Easily all the others follow them.

Sasuke stands on the sidelines, sipping some sake and follows the rhythm by tapping one foot on the ground.

"Uchiha, you don't want to stake all evening!" annoying voices the Inuzuka while shaking the hands of an awkward Hinata.

Sasuke rolls his eyes and doesn't move. Keep watching the Konoha locals intertwine footsteps and hands in a dance that becomes increasingly uncoordinated due to the much sake being consumed. They could go on all night.

Sasuke has always remained in the corner and is one of the few who is still lucid. He does not handle alcohol well and does not like the feeling of losing control it arouses, as if he were not in control of the situation; so always avoid overdoing it. He preferred to light a cigarette.

Sakura is the first to join him, she has swapped the traditional white kimono for a more modern dress tight at the waist but with a wide ballerina skirt. Sakura throws herself into a chair next to him dead weight with a satisfied "Ah!" and immediately after taking off her feet from the high and thin heels.

"How does Ino do missions with these?" she whines confused.

She has the elegant, slightly undone hairstyle with pink strands that slide in front of her flushed face and sparkling eyes. She looks at him slyly before taking the cigarette out of his lips with a sudden gesture.

"Baka, don't you know that smoking is bad?" she takes it back good-naturedly.

Sasuke looks at her impatiently for that intrusive gesture. He wants to retort with something pungent but his attention is captured by a group of children who burst into happy trilling and the astonished cry of some adults.

 _He_ is there looking straight at them, at Sasuke.

Sakura stifles a surprised scream. "Naruto!" euphoric cries jumping to her feet and running towards him without being able to hold back from hugging him and holding him as tightly as possible.

"Naruto! You are here!" he hears her scream still full of joy clinging to the boy's neck.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" the blond replies with joy "Piano, 'tebayo" exhales strangled by the embrace.

He smiled like Naruto, he used the same playful tone as Naruto, he returned the hug like Naruto. But the eyes with which he continues to stare at Sasuke are not Naruto's.

Sasuke approaches the two wary with tense senses and Naruto immediately tightens his grip on Sakura, as if he is afraid that Sasuke will attack and hurt her. How funny, that's the same reason Sasuke approached.

But Naruto could never hurt Sakura, right?

Sasuke immediately notices that next to the Jinchuurike there is Tsunade accompanied by two ANBUs, they are not far away just to leave the two friends the necessary privacy but still close enough to be able to intervene.

"I'm so glad you were able to come!" Sakura breaks away from the embrace, tears running down her cheeks and a smile that starts in one ear and ends on the other. "But how ... when ...?" she stutters too happy to be logical.

Kakashi interrupts her by placing a hand on her shoulder, he arrived without Sakura noticing and now that he is there too Sasuke feels confident enough to take a few more steps. He has an urge to erase as much space between him and Naruto.

Bad move, however, Naruto freezes immediately, his jaw contracted. He pretends not to notice it as the Hokage explains with satisfaction:

"Lately things were going well and it was right that he came to our wedding. For him and for you."

Sasuke realizes that Sakura is forcibly restraining herself from jumping to hug the blonde again. Meanwhile other friends of theirs have also approached, including Hinata.

She smiles sweetly. "So you could have come to the end, Naruto-kun." Then she turns to him. "Hello, Sasuke-kun".

Sasuke nods. According to Kakashi she is his best defender when Naruto loses control and starts insulting him. He is secretly grateful to her. He cannot understand how a person can be so selfless to a stranger.

"And those particular bracelets?" Ino asks pointing to the arms of the Uzumaki. Sasuke had already noticed the cuffs covered with seals.

Naruto gives a casual smile. "I'm not very reliable yet" and nods Tsunade with the two ANBUs not far away.

The most painful thing is that Naruto pretends that Sasuke isn't there, he hasn't looked at him or anything since he dissolved the embrace with Sakura. He talks to the others gesticulating but being careful not to lay eyes on the dark, he trembles slightly as if his muscles are contracted. Sakura also seems to have noticed and makes her eyes dart between the two friends as she asks brightly:

"So now I can see you more often?"

Naruto nods. "Sure, they said I can go home for now. Even though I will always have someone watching me."

Sakura joins her palms bringing them to her chest and tilts her head smiling softly.

"I promise we will all go and eat ramen together right away, like in the old days!"

Naruto opens his eyes wide but then his gaze darkens as if caught by a bad thought.

"Will he come too?" sharp question, the attitude completely changed.

Everyone freezes in a cautious pose and Sasuke suddenly feels the center of attention.

Sakura opens her eyes briefly before she smiles again. "That would be nice," she says softly as if she was hurt by those brusque questions.

"Was it nice even when he tried to kill you?" Naruto provokes her, then seems to realize what he is saying and closes his eyes shaking his head, when he speaks he has the most controlled tone of voice. "I don't understand how you can be so quietly close to him after all the harm he has done to you."

“That's the past” she replies quietly, her eyes more mature and her voice slightly harder. "He came back and repented. This should count for something, right? "

“Yeah, there are so many things that should count for something but don't count at all. There are some memories that I can't understand and I don't think they have been modified by the Chinoikes "

Blue eyes dart over Sasuke's pale face full of distrust. Sasuke doesn't know what to say but he doesn't look down, he looks back at him trying to rhyme apathetic in front of those insinuations that, yes, are hurting him.

He always thought he didn't deserve Naruto's or Sakura's forgiveness, but he never realized how much it depended on that unconditional affection. Now that Uzumaki has denied him it, he feels ... empty.

Sakura purses her lips in a thin line and pulls away from Kakashi's grip facing Naruto directly. She has green eyes full of bitterness.

“I didn't believe it”.

"At what?" Naruto asks.

"To _you_ " she replies. "If I hadn't seen you act like that I would never have believed it" and she turns her gaze to Sasuke.

Since when did Sakura start looking at him with compassion? He doesn't want to be there anymore.

"I'm tired," he says colorlessly, in a low and firm tone of voice, then turns to walk away without waiting for an answer.


	5. Magnets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Sakura to talk with Sasuke

The sun filters through the cracks of the ajar shutters. It must still be very early in the morning and everything seems frozen in time. Sakura is leaning against the kitchen counter as she drinks a glass of milk and looks at her wedding dress lying on the floor. It did not survive the hands of Kakashi as he kissed her and carried her into the bedroom.

She is naked, covering herself only with the oversized shirt that Kakashi wore the night before and smiling as if she were trapped inside a dream. But the smile is mitigated by the sadness of the look as he thinks of Naruto. Sakura sighs as she puts the milk carton back into the new fridge and closes the door. They have already attached photos with magnets, the ones that stand out are the photos of Team Minato and Team 7.

She takes their picture from when they were little by detaching it from the magnets and studies it carefully, they were adorable, every time she looks at that photo she feels a happy sweetness and a genuine nostalgia for her childhood ended too soon.

Sakura loves her teammates, she doesn't know how that affection can be put into words but she knows that despite all her efforts she can never be on the same level as them. Not in the sense of strength or will, it is a question of their own being. Naruto needs Sasuke and Sasuke needs Naruto, a very basic equation that took years to figure out.

She moves her attention to the two magnets she has placed next to the photo. They united as if they could not stay apart, they are attacked by an inevitable attraction.

 _Like Sasuke and Naruto_ , Sakura thinks about grabbing them and forcing them to part.

If she approaches them even a little, she feels the two opposite poles trying to reach each other as if to escape from her fingers. Negative and positive, Ying and Yang. Sakura flips one of the two magnets so that both negative sides are facing each other, now a counter force has been created. They are pushing back with all their might. Sometimes being too equal is not good.

Hands surround her hips and she feels Kakashi place a kiss on her neck. He smiles against her skin.

"'Morning" he whispers, resting his chin on his shoulder.

"Good morning" she returns with a spontaneous smile and relaxes her back against the chest of who, now, is her husband. She gets dizzy in her stomach thinking about it.

"I think I'll have to talk to Sasuke" she reveals thoughtfully.

Sakura feels the Hokage's hands possessively squeeze her hips past the fabric of the shirt.

"He'll be able to survive for a day," he says trying to cover up the annoyance.

Sakura laughs. "Jealous?" teases him by bringing a hand behind him in an attempt to caress his cheek but only feels the air.

Kakashi removes his chin from his neck to meet the caress. "I'm not the jealous type," he denies.

"Sure," she teases him. "In fact, you haven't threatened any male nurses to stay away from me and you don't make me work in a female-only team."

"I didn't want them to bother you," he defends himself as his chest vibrates in a poorly contained laugh. Sakura dissolves that embrace by turning to face him.

"Children" she says. "I feel like I'm surrounded by kindergarten children" and she gets up on her toes to briefly kiss his lower lip.

"Take it as a workout for the future" Kakashi advises "Mrs. Hatake"

Sakura can't help but blush at that name and hides her face on the man's chest so as not to show the excited expression. Sakura hears Kakashi's heart beating regularly near her ear and it is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. Detaching from him seems inconceivable to her.

The gaze falls on the abandoned magnets on the kitchen: they are united again. One of the two negative poles has rotated to match the positive one again.

 _Like Sasuke and Naruto_ , she thinks.

**

Sasuke is at the living room table checking out old reports. In those days he threw himself into work in an attempt not to think too long about Naruto. It wasn't difficult, with the wedding just around the corner, no one wanted to fill out paperwork and he took on the duty of others without protesting, indeed he was satisfied.

He got little sleep that night, of course. He is no longer used to sleeping alone, that's the point. When he got back to the village, Naruto had started chasing him - out of suspicion that he might run away again or because the kage demanded that he be watched - and they even got into the habit of sleeping together. Naruto always held him as if he feared that once awakened he could no longer be there.

 _I'm not going anywhere_ , Sasuke protested. But in the end he got used to it, even better: he got used to that constant bulky presence and now it is hard to close his eyes.

_Who would have thought, it was you who left. And in a place that I cannot reach for more._

The doorbell of Villa Uchiha rings and Sasuke drools slightly with the china, makes an annoyed grimace getting up. It must be Shikamaru with new files to rearrange, he should do it at the Hokage building but he prefers to work in the silence of his home.

Instead, when he opens the door, Sakura's pink head is in front of him.

"Yo, Sasuke" greets him waving a hand.

He slams the door in her face without replying, he has no desire to talk to Sakura. Surely she is there for what happened at the wedding and no, there is nothing to discuss and sincerely nothing is done about her friend's understanding. He won't talk to her.

The kunoichi does not seem to think the same thing because the door is smashed by a powerful punch, leaving him just enough time to dodge. Sakura enters the house as if she hadn't just unhinged a heavy oak door.

"You'll pay for that" he twists his nose annoyed by the intrusion into his vital spaces.

Sakura smiles. "Stingy" and then as if she were at home she goes to the living room.

Sakura sits quietly on one of the wooden chairs and grabs the report she was filling out just before, staring absently at the neat handwriting of the Uchiha. She has pink hair pulled back by a clip and a light gray sweater clearly stolen from Kakashi's wardrobe.

"You also work at rest, eh?" she raises an exasperated eyebrow.

Sasuke sighs in resignation and sits down on one of the chairs too.

"What do you want, Sakura?" he asks impatiently, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He won't be able to have that conversation without nicotine in circulation.

"Can't I visit my best friend?" she cleverly conceals.

“One, I'm not your best friend. Two, take off that dumb smile that no one falls for it. And, three, if you're bothering me for no reason, I'll kick you out immediately. "

Sakura gives an amazed smile that she covers with a little hand.

“Wow, I've never heard you say such a long sentence. You are improving!"

He hates when Sakura teases him, annoys him and never knows how to answer her back.

"And you have been in too much contact with the dobe" he retorts piqued, but as soon as he says it he feels his breath cut off as if he had been hit in the stomach with a very strong punch.

Sakura immediately catches the subtle change in Uchiha's expression and abandons the mocking smile by taking a more serious pose.

"I didn't expect it" she admits and doesn't even have to specify what, the presence is palpable in the air.

"I told you he hated me," he replies apathetically, blowing smoke from his lips.

"But that's the way he hates you," she specifies.

Sasuke shrugs. "He just sees me now as I really am."

He dodges just in time before a punch hits him in the head.

"Aah, baka" Sakura grunts in exasperation. "Is this what you think? To deserve hatred? Let me tell you that you really don't understand anything. ”She leans her cheek on the palm of her hand, looking at him with exasperation and tenderness.

Sasuke did not realize it but for that little reproach he pouted childishly on his lips, crosses his arms and looks away from the girl stung on her face.

"What are you going to do?" Sakura finally asks. The question he's been waiting for since she unhinged the door.

"Me? Nothing, ”he replies dryly.

The girl frowns and her gaze invites him to explain himself better.

"What did Naruto do after I left?" he asks her.

Peach-colored lips take a bitter turn. "It was strange. It is as if he has started arguing with himself. They had to take him away ".

"See" he lifts his chin. “My presence makes him lose control, I have to stay away from him until he's safe enough. Plus, now he hates me and I don't think there is anything else to add about it ”.

For him the conversation can also end there, so he picks up the sheets he was rearranging before determined to ignore the kunoichi until the end of his days, amen.

Sakura doesn't seem of the same opinion. "He hates you because he was brainwashed."

Sasuke squeezes his eyelids in annoyance.

“No, they just opened his eyes. They showed him things from another perspective and he understood that he has every right to hate me. I, on the other hand, have no right to demand his affection ”.

Sakura rolls her eyes. “But it is your right. You have a bond ”.

That just makes it even more painful.

"They broke it, Saku-ra" trembles slightly as he says the girl's name.

She realizes it then softens her eyes.

“No, they didn't,” she contradicts him. "You also thought you had succeeded, then Naruto made you understand otherwise."

"However, I have no right to impose myself on his life if he doesn't want me."

"Why? Do you think Naruto had any right to do it with you? " crystalline laughs.

Sasuke is seriously perplexed. "Isn't that so?"

The girl's lips stretch into a maternal smile and she gets up from her chair, joining him on the other side of the table. Instinctively Sasuke stiffens.

"Sas'ke-kun" calls him gently and stroking his bangs. "You know, Naruto promised me that he would bring you back to me and I, for a very long time, felt terrible at the idea of putting such a weight on his shoulders, such a painful promise. Then I convinced myself that if I told him that I no longer wanted him to keep that promise he would stop suffering and chasing you.

But he replied that he would try to get you home anyway. _Why?_ I was wondering. _He has no more reason to do it, but then why?_ I didn't understand. At the same time he had learned the truth about your brother and he too was wondering if he really had the right to impose himself on you after all… that… ”Sakura didn't finish her sentence. “But he had decided he wanted to help you. Even at the cost of being selfish. He wanted you, he wanted to save you and that was enough for him, he did it only for you. It took me a while to understand it,” she admits, stroking his cheek.

If Sasuke closes his eyes he can pretend that this is Mikoto's hand, sometimes it's so easy to delude oneself and bask in Sakura's maternal affection.

But his mother died.

Sasuke bitterly removes his cheek from the caress.

"I'm not Naruto," he replies.

Sakura sits on the edge of the table with her legs dangling.

“We all know this. And thank goodness, I add ”.

The Uchiha focuses the obsidian gaze on the grass-colored one, has contracted features.

"I'm not Naruto," he reiterates. “Naruto is light and affection, that's why he could counter me. Darkness cannot be fought with other darkness, Sakura. He always knew what to say, how to behave. Of the two he is the hope, I am the revenge. But now that he too is hate how can we find the balance that makes us work? It is useless, I am not able to. I cannot do it".

The slap hits him without realizing it, he only realizes it when he feels his cheek burn and Sakura's hand raised. She has a furious and determined expression, Sasuke looks at her in amazement. He feels like a child just being scolded by his mother for being rude, he feels humiliated.

“ _Don't-say-it-never-again_ ” syllable the kunoichi slowly. “Don't say it's useless, that you can't. That's not true and you know it. Naruto has never doubted himself and now I need you to believe in you! " She takes his hand. “Sasuke-kun, I need you to make me a promise. I won't ask you more, but please: bring Naruto back. I'm the one who can't do it, I can never be on the same level as you no matter how much I love you. I have never been able to save you from yourselves, I will never be able to fully understand you. " She has looked down and her eyes are shining, _please don't start crying_. “They can create all the seals in the world, but only you can bring Naruto back. Only you. So please, Sasuke-kun, don't abandon him just because you're afraid. "

"Sakura ..." Sasuke pulls his hand out of that gentle grip and repeats, "The dark can't be driven away with the dark."

Sakura makes a face at that statement, as if she is trying to smile. She takes two magnets out of her pocket and Sasuke frowns at them as she places them on the table.

"You see?" the girl asks as the two magnets come together. “You are just like that”.

Sasuke nods. "Exactly. Positive pole and negative pole. But now we are negative poles in contact and therefore we reject each other ”.

"You're right," she admits. "But look what happens."

Sakura detaches the two magnets by matching the two negative poles, obviously the two objects immediately move away without even touching each other. Then, however, one of the two magnets rotates on itself showing the positive pole again and the other magically attracted slips towards it, attaching itself again.

"Have you seen?" asks for confirmation. “Spontaneously one of the two magnets made sure that they returned to being positive-negative in order to be attracted again. What I am trying to tell you is that neither you or Naruto are only darkness or only light. You are formed by both because you are the same, but at the same time it is your differences that attract you ”. She tucks a pink tuft behind her ears. “It is not true that you are only darkness and revenge. There is also love inside you. You have been deeply loved by your family, by Itachi, by Naruto and ... yes, even by me whether you like it or not! " Sakura sticks out her tongue to ease the situation. "Inside you you have a great reserve of love, you just have to learn to use it and direct it towards Naruto so that, like magnets, you can attract each other again" she finishes.

Sasuke looks down at the ground and thinks about those words. He thinks about a lot and too much and inevitably his blue eyes full of hatred come back to him. He can't do it, Sakura has too much faith in him as usual. He would not even know where to start, any guilt Naruto accuses him of will be perfectly right and he will have nothing to argue against.

"I don't promise you anything," he says anyway.

It is neither a yes nor a no, but he does not feel like destroying that unconditional and unmotivated trust.


	6. Just words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ally” he says slowly as if he were savoring the sound of the word. “Friend. Partner. Nukenin. Traitor. Uchiha. Fiance. A threat. Enemy. Shinobi. I'll add it to the list of words I use to try to understand you. Ally” drops the rope from his hands.  
> Sasuke's cheekbones got even more red at the word boyfriend. That must be either Sakura or Kakashi's doing, he's sure.  
> "I'm just Sasuke" he says dryly. "Avoid making a list of words"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I also apologize here for the very long delay. As I explained in another story, my family hasn't had a happy time lately. We've all tested positive for the coronavirus, but even though we're healed by now I needed time to sort out my affairs.  
> I'm sorry. I will try to leave a chapter at least once a seventh from now on.

Sasuke no longer sees Naruto, even though he knows he has been discharged from the hospital and can now walk around Konoha under the close surveillance of an ANBU. Kakashi told him he also carries a containment seal very similar to the one they had applied to him for the cursed seal.

"It will be fine," he added.

Sasuke is not very convinced, despite the promise made to Sakura he has now given up on it. Maybe Uzumaki will be able to really return to what he once was, but not with him, not their relationship. He will get to tolerate at best, but there will be nothing left. Nothing can be the same as before.

Kakashi and Sakura took a very short vacation after the wedding, nothing too demanding because the Hokage couldn't leave Konoha unattended for too long and Sakura couldn't quit her job as a baka-sitter. The war is over, it is true, but the peace that has been created is so subtle that the big five countries have to invest a lot of strength to strengthen it.

The missions lately are real espionage warrants in those small towns where small outbreaks of discontent make things unstable. Prevention is better than cure seems to be the new kages motto.

In that month Sasuke only participated in a mission where they killed an unstable nuniken who planned attacks against the Daimiyo; the rest of the time he trained with Sakura or alone, mostly in the Uchiha fields. He only went to the public ones once but as soon as he set foot he felt Naruto's chakra and then headed back to his gloomy neighborhood to train alone.

Yes, Naruto Uzumaki is still a Konoha shinobi.

The Hokage explained that he could not dismiss him given the diplomatically delicate situation between the various countries, Konohagakure must show that he is in full control of the situation. Obviously, Naruto will not be sent on dangerous missions or outside the country, he will always be under control.

"Do not worry"

But Sasuke worries all the same.

A month later, the Land of the Baths sends ambassadors to Konoha: they are the rolls with the Chinoike techniques, they managed to find it but unfortunately they are illegible for those who do not have the same ocular art of the clan. The captive Chinoikes refused to cooperate but that's not a real problem, Konoha's secret services are the best of the five countries and won't have a hard time deciphering them anyway. For this reason the head of the Land of the Baths asks that the ninja of the leaf come to get them; not only to analyze them but also because he considers them dangerous and full of dark chakras.

It is the council of elders to choose who to send, Kakashi tries to mediate but is not listened to. The ninjas chosen are Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Yamato, Sai, Hinata Hyuuga and him.

Naruto Uzumaki.

As soon as Sasuke learns about it as a tornado heads to the Hokage office.

"I refuse!" he replies with cold calmness interrupting a small meeting with the Godaime.

Tsunade rolls her eyes. "Brat, nobody asked your opinion" she shouts, of course she immediately understood what she refers to. It's the same thing that worries her and Kakashi too.

"I can't go on a mission with Naruto, it's madness" he ignores her, addressing only the ex-teacher.

Kakashi leans his back in the chair and sighs. "Sas'ke-kun, Tsunade is right: it is not you decide."

Sasuke doesn't understand how they can be so calm. “Why do such a thing? He will lose control, you know! "

“According to them, it's a question of image. Everyone wonders what happened to the hero of Konoha, why he appears so little and never at your side despite your _friendship_ ", he underlines the last word," This mission will make unstable countries understand that the Leaf is still united and that the Chinoikes have absolutely not damaged the two strongest shinobi in the world ”.

Sasuke would like to ask since ninja missions have become a matter of image, instead asks: "In your opinion, instead?"

Tsunade frowns at Uchiha's little respect but says nothing, exchanges a long glance with Kakashi before he says:

“The council doesn't like you, Sasuke-kun. The only reason we haven't handed you over to the Chinoikes is Naruto "- but sure, keep reminding him how much he owes him -" and me, of course, but the council has always wanted to get rid of the last Uchiha. They consider you dangerous ”.

Sasuke realizes. "They hope he will kill me."

He feels like he has been emptied of all internal organs. If Naruto kills him they will have one less potential enemy without getting their hands dirty in person. Naruto is the only one capable of killing him, strong enough to do so.

Kakashi nods gravely. “Of course it's just a guess, both Yamato and Hinata-chan know what to do in case he loses control. Plus you'll have Sakura and Sai watching your back "

"I don't need the escort," he replies brusquely. "I can defend myself"

"And would you also be willing", he asks slowly, "to kill him?"

He opens his eyes briefly before returning the icy and neutral expression. "I can stop him even without going that far" he replies "But this mission is a mistake" he specifies anyway.

**

They leave after a few days at dawn, after Yamato-taicho has given them all the information for that mission. It is not difficult and it is obvious that the use of such powerful ninjas is caused by the presence of Naruto, they have to keep him under control in some way. Sasuke can't really understand all of that no matter how hard he tries.

Since they left, Sasuke has never looked at him and Naruto hasn't even given any sign of having seen him, they pretend as if they don't exist for each other. Naruto has joked with the others but sometimes he stiffens as if his gaze is caught far away and inevitably Sasuke snaps into a defensive position placing a hand on the katana, but nothing ever happens.

In the evening when they decide to camp Sasuke offers to check around that there are no traps or other enemy ANBUs, he stays away long enough not intending to return to the small camp. Being so close but at the same time so far from Naruto is agony.

After the war, their relationship had become even more strange and intricate than it had been before. The Uzumaki continued to yell their friendship everywhere, he did nothing but call him that way - friend - but their way of relating was not sure it could be circumscribed within friendship. He doubted that other friends also did certain things like sleeping together, like kissing, like touching.

The truth is that Naruto and Sasuke have always been so many things (rivals, companions, friends, allies, lovers, enemies, targets) and they never really tried to define themselves because, whatever the right answer was, they always remain Naruto and Sasuke. They don't need a word to define them. Sakura had once talked about soulmates, souls linked independently of their will.

Even now? Sasuke thinks when he returns to the camp and the blond, sensing his presence, jumps sharply holding his breath and clenches his hands into fists, stopping talking to Sai. Sasuke notices him immediately and this causes a bitter, burning sensation in his throat.

"All quiet," he says colorlessly to Yamato before sitting on the sidelines with his sleeping bag and closing himself in a dismal silence.

They eat their meal in an atmosphere saturated with tension. Initially Sasuke believes that the reason for that heavy situation is the presence of Naruto but then realizes that it is towards him that they cast worried looks. Yet everyone at the beginning of the mission was worried about his safety.

The explanation comes from Sakura the next morning when they just left.

“What are you trying to do? Do you want him to attack you? " she asks emphatically, which appears to be her attacking him at the moment.

Sasuke is perplexed. "Of course not. I just want you to leave me alone ”he specifies annoyed.

"Well, that's what he's trying to do, but you're not helping him," she replies with equal abruptness. “The Council may have sent him here to have you killed, but Naruto doesn't know that. It's difficult for him to metabolize all this, you can't blame him".

"But I'm not doing it" he exclaims slightly offended.

“Yes, you do.” She hits him in the face. “You punish him all the time for something he can't control. Do you think Kakashi didn't tell me about your first meeting and how you behaved? " she looks at him reproachfully.

Sasuke had to imagine that the ex-sensei wouldn't keep his mouth shut and this annoys him. It was a private thing and yes, he knows that he did not behave very well and that he reacted in the wrong way but at that moment a defense mechanism was triggered in his brain, he could not do anything about it. He had tried to kill him, damn it, it was obvious that he felt threatened by his presence of him.

Sakura seems to sense the disturbance of those words and softens her gaze while maintaining the tone of her voice as inflexible as that of a general: "I'm not telling you that you shouldn't sleep with kusanagi next to you, but I think it's time to try to meet him. . If you had been compromised, tortured and tried to kill him, would Naruto have behaved like this with you?"

He falls silent. No, Naruto would never do that. He has already proved it once: he would have done anything to bring him back at any cost, even at the risk of getting hurt. He would not have rejected or abandoned him and would not have looked at him with spite like Sasuke does now.

"You made me a promise, remember?" Sakura ends; receiving no answer she snaps at the head of the group leaving him to mull over the words of kunoichi.

The fear of being rejected has made him ignore the real problem he faces: trying to snatch the real Naruto from the shadowy world he was thrown into, surely he's there somewhere he's trying to get out. But Sasuke doesn't even know how to find him, let alone how to get him out of there; he doesn't even know which strategy to use. Compared to this, fighting Madara or Kaguya seems like a no brainer.

They run all day through the trees without complications, like the previous day they stop at sunset in a small clearing frequented only by deer who run away as soon as they sense the arrival of the ninja. By now they are close to their destination.

The darkness falls quickly, the area according to Sai is quite safe and they risk lighting a small bonfire to warm themselves from the cold. However, they should not encounter enemies on the first leg, it will be during the return - when they have the secret scrolls - that they will have to be more careful.

They are all around the fire eating dried meat in silence, only Sakura is chatting quietly with the Hyuuga, Sai looks at them nodding while Yamato studies the map. Naruto is on the other side of the bonfire, his back leaning against a log and his blue eyes reflecting the dancing flames. He is weaving some rope, his gestures are dry and abrupt, as if he is struggling to hold back some emotion. That might be the right time to start talking to him, if only Sasuke knew what to say. He can't think of anything to introduce a conversation, so he doesn't say anything and just stares at him insistently. Naruto seems poorly tolerate staring but he does nothing to reveal the hassle.

After about half an hour Naruto's voice breaks the silence.

“Those three years must have been really exhausting for you. Try to kill me and fail”.

His words seem extremely unfair and his first impulse is to retort sharply, but Sasuke bites his tongue remembering the conversation with Sakura. That's why he tries to be diplomatic.

"I couldn't because I didn't really want to kill you" he begins with the best of intentions but Naruto immediately cuts him off with a muffled, mean, cold laugh.

"Sure, even when you pierced my chest with the chidori," he remembers sarcastically.

It almost seems like he's looking for the right words to hurt him on purpose. That realization makes Sasuke pass all the desire to be a diplomat and before he realizes it he replies sharply:

"I remind you that you strangled me not even a month ago."

The others tense up exchanging glances of understanding. They obviously followed the whole short conversation.

Naruto frowns, his eyes offended. “You were running to meet me with active rinnegan and sharingan,” he explains. "You wanted to attack me, right?"

"No!" he blurts out without realizing it too surprised by that ridiculous statement. “I wasn't trying to attack you. I… I wanted… ”he takes a deep breath, admitting it will cost him a big chunk of pride “to _hug_ you ”.

Okay, now he's going to have to kill those present. Especially Sakura who can't help but smirk wickedly and amused. Here, Sasuke is also blushing. Stupid dobe. Stupid human issues.

Naruto seems deeply skeptical of that explanation but, at least, he too blushed slightly with embarrassment.

"Ah," he mutters. "Why would you have done that?"

Legitimate question.

“You were captured and we came to rescue you. Why are we ... allies? "

Beautiful word of safety, completely devoid of emotional commitment and easily interpretable.

“Ally” he says slowly as if he were savoring the sound of the word. “Friend. Partner. Nukenin. Traitor. Uchiha. Fiance. A threat. Enemy. Shinobi. I'll add it to the list of words I use to try to understand you. _Ally_ ” drops the rope from his hands.

Sasuke's cheekbones got even more red at the word boyfriend. That must be either Sakura or Kakashi's doing, he's sure.

"I'm just Sasuke" he says dryly. "Avoid making a list of words"

Suddenly, a kind of sadness, a strange despair, also infiltrated the anger in Naruto's eyes.

"It is that I can no longer understand which of these words are correct. What is true and what is false, ”he reveals, staring at his hands. For the first time, he looks really confused and devastated by that situation.

Sasuke doesn't know how to answer, Sakura intervenes to help him, revealing the fact that none of them missed a line.

"Then ask" she says maternal.

"And to whom?" Naruto objects wary.

"To us, to begin with," Yamato replies. "We are your team"

“And in Konoha you have many friends you can rely on,” assures kind Hinata.

"Friends are always able to help, I read it in a book" complete Sai.

In the silence that follows Sasuke tries to imagine himself not being able to distinguish true from false and for a moment he seems to fall back into the claustrophobic feeling that he had held him when he had discovered the truth about Itachi; he doesn't have to strain at all to understand how Naruto feels — as usual anyway.

Suddenly he feels the desire to explain everything to him in detail: who Naruto is, who Sasuke is, what they are, what his dreams are, why it is so important. There are so many things he doesn't know where to start, it's like having something tighten his throat or stitch his lips together.

Nothing, he can't say anything.

Naruto looks up at him wary and uncertain. "Is your favorite color blue?" he asks nervously.

It's an easy question and he's grateful that he started with something like this.

"Yes" he confirms, then he seems to have to add something more "Yours is orange".

Naruto tries to give him a slightly crooked smile, an imitation of the ones he once gave him. “I still remember this”.

“Yes, but it's a particular orange. You like the orange of the sunset because of the whole, because it is vivid and bright even if the sun is dying, it seems to you a kind of miracle. You told me when we saw that sunset ”.

Naruto looks uncomfortable. "I don't remember," he murmurs.

“The war had just ended, we were leaving the hospital. You stopped in the middle of the road to look at the orange sky, there were few clouds and the roofs of Konoha reflected the light "he explains, feeling something squeeze his heart so hard that it hurts.

And it's still not enough, because Sasuke can't explain Naruto's look that day. He can't explain how he gripped his heart, how he made him understand that even though the sun was setting, there was a new day for both of them.

Sasuke has always taken Naruto for granted as if he were the sun. But he now he is setting forever.

"Oh". Naruto barely closes his eyes as if he were trying to remember. "Thanks"

That whispered thank you in a low voice triggers something in Sasuke's brain and a river of words starts pouring out of his mouth without a specific order.

“You like ramen. You hate to wait the three minutes before cooking. You never check the expiration of the milk. You want to become Hokage. Always ring the bell three times. You never tie your shoes. You are messy. You use cinnamon shampoo because it is the cheapest. Always put two teaspoons of sugar in tea. You are my best friend. You like to sleep with the window open. You always scream. Your hobby is playing jokes. You saved my life ”he takes a deep breath, he spoke in apnea.

His hands are shaking and he wants to do something stupid like burst into tears like a baby. He suddenly stands up under the speechless gaze of everyone.

"You're wrong, Sakura, I can't do this," she says without realizing it, his voice shakes too.

"I do the first watch," he adds before jumping to the first available branch and walking away.

He can't take that look any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you will notice, there is a very strong resemblance to the third Hunger games book. Obviously the scene, like the whole story, was inspired from there.


End file.
